Here's a look at some of the top health news being talked about around the U.S. and the world today:

• Government researchers believe they've identified a series of mutated genes linked to some stuttering cases. For the first time, that shows stuttering has a biological cause and is not necessarily the result of certain environmental factors.

• Less invasive laparoscopic procedures may be more comfortable for the patient, but its ergonomics can cause significant discomfort to the surgeons who perform them, according to University of Maryland Medical Center researchers.

• Nearly half of American women don't understand their risks from heart disease or even recognize the symptoms of a heart attack, despite public awareness campaigns over more than a decade.

• Those who spend their childhood being obese were more than twice as likely to die before the age of 55 as those who were at the thinnest weights, researchers said this week.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.